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NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion Keselowski Coming to Riverside for IWK 250

JAMES RIVER, NS (May 24, 2013) – Brad Keselowski, the reigning NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion and driver of the No. 2 Miller Lite Ford for Penske Racing, will enter the 2013 edition of the IWK 250 Presented by Steve Lewis Auto Body at Riverside International Speedway on July 20.

“We’re more than thrilled,” said track manager Paul McLean. “We’ve been working on this for months and hope our fans agree with us that it is worth the wait.”

This is a rare short track super late model appearance for Keselowski who, besides being the Sprint Cup champion, is one of the most popular drivers in NASCAR, particularly in social media circles where Keselowski has more than 400,000 followers on Twitter.

At just 29 years of age Brad Keselowski has 30 wins in NASCAR’s top two divisions: nine in the Sprint Cup Series and 21 in the Nationwide Series. He is currently seventh in the Sprint Cup Series driver point standings. Besides his 2012 Sprint Cup Series title he is the 2010 Nationwide Series champion; one of only two NASCAR drivers with titles in both series.

Keselowski, who hails from Rochester Hills, Michigan, will drive a car in the IWK 250 specially prepared for his own BKR race team by native Nova Scotian Gary Crooks, now operating Crooks Racing in North Carolina.

“We’re pretty excited,” said Crooks, who has looked after the BKR development program for three years. “It’s really a dream to be able to do this for BKR with Brad and especially at Riverside where the Chisholm’s have given me the opportunity to work with other Cup stars, and where I can share this experience with my family. We’ve got the go-ahead to build a competitive race car for him and hope we can duplicate the success we had in 2009 when we helped Regan Smith win the IWK 250.”

Keselowski is a second-generation driver raised in a racing family, the son of Bob Keselowski, nephew of Ron Keselowski, and brother to Brian Keselowski – all successful racers. Brad was only 14 when he moved from crew member to driver, racing midget cars for two years before trying his hand at stock cars where he, in his first season, collected Rookie of the Year titles at two Michigan tracks. During the next three years he balanced a full-time job at his family’s racing organization with his budding driving career, enjoying success in limited late model and super late model divisions.

It was 2004 when he moved to NASCAR entering eight Camping World Truck Series races driving for his family’s team. In 2006 he ran partial schedules in both the Trucks and in the Nationwide Series competing in 13 races that helped prepare him for 2007. It was then his talent would catch the eye of Dale Earnhardt Jr. and result in a full-time ride for Earnhardt’s Nationwide Series team where he finished third in the 2008 series standings, and made his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series debut driving for Hendrick Motorsports.

In 2009 he won his first Cup race along with earning four victories on the Nationwide Series – wins that helped earn him a seat in Penske Racing’s Nationwide Series car. In 2010 he won the Nationwide Series title, the first NASCAR title for legendary team owner Roger Penske.

In 2011 he won eight NASCAR races, three as the full-time driver of Penske’s ‘Blue Deuce’ in the Sprint Cup Series and five in Penske’s Nationwide Series car.

2012 was a dream season with five Sprint Cup Series wins en route to the championship along with three wins in the Nationwide Series.

Keselowski’s 2013 Penske Racing teammate, Joey Logano, was the 2012 celebrity driver at the IWK 250, both joining an impressive list of NASCAR celebrity drivers who have competed in Canada’s top stock car race including Aric Almirola, Marcos Ambrose, Ricky Craven, David Reutimann, and Regan Smith.

Since 2007 the IWK 250 presented by Steve Lewis Auto Body has raised awareness – and more than $130,000 – for the IWK Children’s Health Care Centre.

The 2013 edition of the IWK 250 presented by Steve Lewis Auto Body is set for July 20 at Riverside International Speedway as the culmination of a two-day special event that will open July 19 with the Napa Sportsman Series.

Riverside International Speedway is a 1/3-mile high banked asphalt oval located in James River, between New Glasgow and Antigonish, at exit 30 off Trans Canada Highway 104. Opened in 1969, the facility was completely rebuilt in 2006 to become a premiere motorsports site comparable to the best short tracks in North America. For more information please visit www.riversidespeedway.ca or call 902.863.2410.